Bore cleaning rope is typically a nylon or polyester material braided to a diameter that should correctly fit the sizing of the bore. Of course, the first use will be very tight, prior to any wear or saturation with solvent or lubricant oil. That way, it can maintain a tight fit longer. Once a rope is worn and slides down the barrel with ease, it loses the effectiveness in making contact that you will always get from a brass jag and cotton patch combination. Remember, the purpose of the bore rope is to scrub and pick up any loose carbon fouling or other bore debris. Buildup in the bore only works against smooth operation and ballistic performance. There are differing opinions out there, but they’re wrong. Ha ha.

The Tetra Gun Bora Boa brand of bore cleaning rope, like the other brands in the firearms market, are made with an embedded bronze brush to fulfill that scrubbing function that I mentioned. Back and forth, scraping off hard fouling particles, hopefully, and letting the filaments of the rope do the rest by picking up loose debris. It’s really that simple.

Expert bore rope users among gun owners will saturate the rope with gun cleaner vs. running it dry, or they will even have a second rope in the same caliber to use exclusively as the lube oil applicator.

Among hunters, the .22 cal. and .30 cal. sized models are the top sellers, followed by the 6.5mm, .270 cal. and .243 cal. models. The .17 cal. is also sold, but more common as an air rifle product. That is why Tetra Gun offers a specific air rifle gun care kit with a Bore Boa inside that does not include an embedded bronze brush. This is important for air rifle users to consider. Ask your manufacturer about how those barrels are more delicate and don’t need rough handling, especially since aren’t talking about the same level of bore fouling.

For shotgun users in the field and at the clay and skeet ranges, 12ga. is the dominant caliber, followed by 20ga., 28ga and then 410, not to mention exotic sizes used more outside of the U.S. market. Either way, it shouldn’t matter, as the the bore cleaning rope works the very same way. Clean, lubricate and protect — assuming that you are using a bore condition like the Tetra Gun lubricant or their Triple Action CLP oil. Of course, there are many choices out there in gun cleaning chemicals between both gun solvents and gun lubes.

I didn’t get into handguns because most pistol cleaning, considering the shorter barrel, makes it easier to clean and lube a gun bore without introducing the rope. Needless to say, 9mm is as popular as ever vs. .45 cal. .40 cal., .38, .357, and the .22 and .25 which are great as training rounds.

There are always other bullet sizes to discover, but for looking at the cost of shooting sports, stick with the most popular calibers to keep your per round cost down. There is a reason why 22 and 9mm are the most cost-effective sizes to purchase.

Bore cleaning rope is not as thorough as a cleaning rod and brush combination, or jag, or cotton mop accessory combination overall, but it is quick and easy, and very compact and light if you want to slip it into a pocket in your gun range bag. Either way, take care of your hardware investment to keep it in fire-ready condition, while you keep it pretty.

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